This invention relates generally to electrostatographic printers and copiers, and more particularly concerns a retracting cleaner with central augering.
In some electrostatographic printers and copiers, an opening is located at the bottom of the auger and a detoning blade is located under this opening. A concern of an auger running above the detoning scraper blade is that pressure would be exerted on the blade. Such a problem was experienced on machines such as the Xerox 5028 urethane cleaner blade. The 12 o'clock cleaner of this machine had a toner collection housing located above the blade. When toner filled the cavity, pressure from the accumulated toner flattened the blade against the photoreceptor causing a planing failure.
The multi-pass image on image color xerographic process includes four toner colors, cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These four colors are developed onto the photoreceptor belt through four cycles of the photoreceptor. During this time toner layers are built up to create a full color image which is then transferred to a sheet of paper. As the color layers are being developed all subsystems which could disturb the image must be retracted from photoreceptor contact. These subsystems include the dual electrostatic brush cleaner and the spots blade. Due to motion quality concerns effecting color registration the photoreceptor backers for the cleaner brushes cannot be retracted to withdraw the photoreceptor belt from the cleaner. Instead the cleaner must be withdrawn from the photoreceptor. Additionally the retraction and engagement must be accomplished in the short time between documents. And, because the size of the interdocument region is small relative to the spacing between the two brushes the brushes must be retracted and engaged independently. A cleaner with many independently moving parts can be very difficult to seal.
The following disclosures may be relevant to various aspects of the present invention and may be briefly summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,344 to Gerbasi et al. discloses a cleaning method and apparatus that provides lubrication to a secondary detoning roll in a cleaner brush system, thus reducing cleaning failures. The toner particles removed from the first detoning roll are transported to the second detoning roll. This allows lubrication of the second detoning roll and reduces the wear problem of the second detoning roll due to lack of lubrication.